Compare Ireland (2005) - Saudi Arabia (2007)

Compare Ireland (2005) z Saudi Arabia (2007)

	Ireland (2005)	Saudi Arabia (2007)

Administrative divisions	26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province	13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Age structure	0-14 years: 20.9% (male 434,225/female 406,730) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,358,086/female 1,354,148) 65 years and over: 11.5% (male 203,614/female 258,873) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,369,285/female 5,162,585) 15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,316,694/female 7,089,370) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 348,827/female 314,277) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products	wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Airports	36 (2004 est.)	213 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.)	total: 77 over 3,047 m: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.)	total: 136 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 15 (2007)
Area	total: 70,280 sq km land: 68,890 sq km water: 1,390 sq km	total: 2,149,690 sq km land: 2,149,690 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than West Virginia	slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Background	Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the United Kingdom. In 1948 Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with some difficulties.	Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD (Ibn Saud) after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. A male descendent of Ibn Saud, his son ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz, rules the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal family and the public until all operational US troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince. To promote increased political participation, the government held elections nationwide from February through April 2005 for half the members of 179 municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH completed the process by appointing the remaining members of the advisory municipal councils. The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds approximately 25% of the world's proven oil reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reform and diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO in December 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
Birth rate	14.47 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	29.1 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $62.51 billion expenditures: $63.52 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.5 billion (2004 est.)	revenues: $174.8 billion expenditures: $104.1 billion (2006 est.)
Capital	Dublin	name: Riyadh geographic coordinates: 24 38 N, 46 43 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time	harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Coastline	1,448 km	2,640 km
Constitution	adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937	governed according to Islamic law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was promulgated by royal decree in 1992
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland local long form: none local short form: Eire	conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Death rate	7.85 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	2.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$11 billion (1998)	$46.6 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador James C. KENNY embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [353] (1) 668-8777 FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946	chief of mission: Ambassador Ford FRAKER embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939 FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco	chief of mission: Ambassador Adil al-Ahmad al-JUBAYR chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 FAX: [1] (202) 944-3113 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Disputes - international	Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm	Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran
Economic aid - donor	ODA, $283 million (2001)	since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $230 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq; pledged $133 million in direct grant aid, $187 million in concessional loans, and $153 million in export credits for Pakistan earthquake relief; pledged a total of $1.59 billion to Lebanon in assistance and deposits to the Central Bank of Lebanon in 2006 and pledged an additional $1.1 billion in early 2007
Economy - overview	Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 7% in 1995-2004. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's growth, the economy has also benefited from a rise in consumer spending, construction, and business investment. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the four big European economies and the second highest in the EU behind Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the Irish Government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb price and wage inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU nations.	Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 5.5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and to increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. The government is promoting private sector and foreign participation in the power generation, telecom, natural gas, and petrochemical industries. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in December 2005 after many years of negotiations. With high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget surpluses, Riyadh has substantially boosted spending on job training and education, infrastructure development, and government salaries. The government has announced plans to establish six "economic cities" in different regions of the country to promote development and diversification.
Electricity - consumption	21.78 billion kWh (2002)	146.9 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	100 million kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	600 million kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	22.88 billion kWh (2002)	165.6 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Environment - current issues	water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff	desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Celtic, English	Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)	Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2006), 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75 (2003), 3.75 (2002)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 31 October 1997 (next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004 presidential election; prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the president election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6% note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats	chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch every four years and includes many royal family members elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; note - a new Allegiance Commission created by royal decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes that will play a role in selecting future Saudi kings, but the new system will not take effect until after Crown Prince Sultan becomes king
Exports	27,450 bbl/day (2001)	8.554 million bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products	petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners	US 19.7%, UK 17.7%, Belgium 14.7%, Germany 7.7%, France 6%, Netherlands 4.6%, Italy 4.5% (2004)	Japan 17.7%, US 15.8%, South Korea 9%, China 7.2%, Taiwan 4.6%, Singapore 4.4% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red	green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 5% industry: 46% services: 49% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 3% industry: 63.6% services: 33.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $31,900 (2004 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	5.1% (2004 est.)	4.3% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	53 00 N, 8 00 W	25 00 N, 45 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin	extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
Heliports	-	8 (2007)
Highways	total: 95,736 km paved: 95,736 km (including 125 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (2002)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money laundering using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies involving the offshore financial community remains a concern	death penalty for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement
Imports	178,600 bbl/day (2001)	0 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners	UK 35.6%, US 13.8%, Germany 8.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, France 4.2% (2004)	US 12.3%, Germany 8.6%, China 8%, Japan 7.3%, UK 4.9%, Italy 4.8%, South Korea 4.1% (2006)
Independence	6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)	23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
Industrial production growth rate	7% (2004 est.)	1.9% (2006 est.)
Industries	steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum mining processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment; glass and crystal; software, tourism	crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals; ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction
Infant mortality rate	total: 5.39 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 12.41 deaths/1,000 live births male: 14.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.2% (2004 est.)	2.2% (2006 est.)
International organization participation	Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	NA sq km	16,200 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet)	Supreme Council of Justice
Labor force	1.92 million (2004 est.)	6.311 million note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 8%, industry 29%, services 63% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 12% industry: 25% services: 63% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km	total: 4,431 km border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Land use	arable land: 15.2% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 84.77% (2001)	arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2005)
Languages	English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official) (Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard	Arabic
Legal system	based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Shari'a law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive Democrats 4, independents and others 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party 3.8%, others 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31, Labor Party 21, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6, Sinn Fein 5, others 14	Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); note - though the Council of Ministers announced in October 2003 its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years, to date no such elections have been held or announced
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 77.56 years male: 74.95 years female: 80.34 years (2005 est.)	total population: 75.88 years male: 73.85 years female: 78.02 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% (1981 est.) male: NA% female: NA%	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
Location	Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain	Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Map references	Europe	Middle East
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified
Merchant marine	total: 39 by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 27, chemical tanker 1, container 1, passenger/cargo 4, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 11 (Germany 3, Italy 3, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, United Kingdom 3) registered in other countries: 18 (2005)	total: 59 ships (1000 GRT or over) 847,094 GRT/1,059,026 DWT by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8 foreign-owned: 10 (Egypt 1, Greece 2, Kuwait 6, UAE 1) registered in other countries: 63 (Bahamas 15, Comoros 1, Dominica 1, France 1, Liberia 24, Marshall Islands 4, Norway 3, Panama 14) (2007)
Military branches	Army (includes Naval Service and Air Corps)	Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$700 million (FY00/01)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.9% (FY00/01)	10% (2005 est.)
National holiday	Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March	Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Nationality	noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish	noun: Saudi(s) adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Natural hazards	NA	frequent sand and dust storms
Natural resources	natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Net migration rate	4.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-5.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	gas 1,795 km (2004)	condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km; oil 4,531 km; refined products 1,150 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats [Mary HARNEY]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND]	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	none
Population	4,015,676 (July 2005 est.)	27,601,038 note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	10% (1997 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	1.16% (2005 est.)	2.06% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cork, Dublin, New Ross, Shannon Foynes, Waterford	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways	total: 3,312 km broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2004)	total: 1,392 km standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2006)
Religions	Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)	Muslim 100%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.314 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1.196 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	21 years of age; male
Telephone system	general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay domestic: microwave radio relay international: country code - 353; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: modern system domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use	1.955 million (2003)	4.5 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	3.4 million (2003)	19.663 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations	4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)	117 (1997)
Terrain	mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast	mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Total fertility rate	1.87 children born/woman (2005 est.)	3.94 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	4.3% (2004 est.)	13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)
Waterways	753 km (pleasure craft only) (2004)	-

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